The recent Hollywood conversation reignited after Quentin Tarantino blasted Paul Dano‘s performance in ‘There Will Be Blood‘, and many wondered if Dano would ever respond.
Speculation grew, and Dano stayed silent while fellow actors jumped to his defense. Many fans wondered if he would ever address the jab. Now, Paul Dino has finally addressed it.
Paul Dano Finally Addresses Quentin Tarantino’s Criticism
Tarantino made the controversial remarks in December 2025 on ‘The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast‘ while discussing the Oscar-winning 2007 drama ‘There Will Be Blood‘. He argued that Dano stood as the only flaw in the film and described him as a “weak, weak, uninteresting guy.”
Podcast host Bret Easton Ellis suggested that Daniel Day-Lewis delivered such a towering performance that it overshadowed Dano. Tarantino answered by saying pairing Day-Lewis with what he called the weakest male actor in SAG created a poor contrast. He later added that he did not see Dano’s performance as terrible but viewed it as a “non-entity.”
Reporters finally raised the topic at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 28. Dano said he felt incredibly grateful that many people defended him. He explained that so many voices spoke up for him that he never felt pressure to respond earlier.
Support Rolls In As Dano Joins The Debate
Dano appeared at Sundance to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ‘Little Miss Sunshine‘, and the subject surfaced during that reunion. Former co-star Toni Collette reacted strongly and said, “F-that guy! He must’ve been high,” adding that the whole situation felt confusing and unnecessary.
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Co-director Jonathan Dayton called Tarantino’s remarks an embarrassment and suggested Dano’s raw performance may have made Tarantino uncomfortable. Co-director Valerie Faris noted that people rushed to defend Dano right away and said he is loved by many and is highly intelligent. Dano himself has also acknowledged the public support and said it meant a lot that others spoke on his behalf.
Even after everything, Tarantino did not mince his words. He repeated that he simply does not care for Dano and added that he also does not care for Owen Wilson or Matthew Lillard.
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